What is Dramatherapy?
The British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth) defines dramatherapy as a form of psychological therapy that uses the arts and performance-based methods within the therapeutic relationship to support exploration, expression, and change.
This creative, embodied process gives equal validity to body and mind within the therapeutic context and offers indirect ways of working that can help people address experiences that may be difficult to access through words alone.
My Approach
I work as a HCPC registered Dramatherapist, holding clear boundaries between therapy and creative or performance work, and supporting clients at a pace that feels safe and appropriate.
I work with individuals and groups, offering a therapeutic space that is attentive, contained, and responsive to each person’s needs. My practice is informed by story, embodiment, and imagination, and grounded in ethical, relational care. I pay close attention to pacing, consent, and choice, recognising that safety and trust within the therapeutic relationship are central to meaningful change.
My work is trauma-informed, affirmative, and inclusive. I work with awareness of how trauma can live in the body, emotions, and imagination, and support clients to engage in ways that feel manageable, respectful, and supportive of their nervous system.
Experience and Background
am a Derby-based HCPC registered Dramatherapist and graduated from the University of Derby with an MA in Dramatherapy in 2025. I bring over 29 years’ professional experience across theatre, health, education, and social care contexts.
I have worked as a dramatherapist within Derbyshire NHS Drug and Alcohol Services, and I currently work across schools, community, and private settings. This includes working with children and young people, looked-after children, and within therapeutic Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programmes with ID Derby.
I am also a freelance dramatherapist with Catharsis Creative Arts Therapy, and alongside clinical practice, I have developed and delivered nationally funded workshops and therapeutic theatre projects.
Creative Practice and Therapy
Alongside my clinical work, I maintain a professional creative practice as a drag folk storyteller, multidisciplinary psychophysical theatre-maker, and workshop facilitator. This creative work informs my sensitivity, imagination, and embodied awareness within therapy, while remaining clearly distinct from clinical practice.
I hold clear boundaries between therapy and performance or creative work. While my creative practice is informed by therapeutic ways of thinking, dramatherapy sessions are offered within a defined therapeutic framework, with appropriate safeguarding, confidentiality, and professional accountability.
Who is Dramatherapy Helpful For?
Dramatherapy can be helpful for people seeking support with a range of emotional, relational, or life experiences. Some people come to therapy knowing what they want to work with; others arrive with a sense that something needs attention but is hard to name. Dramatherapy offers flexible ways of exploring experience, at a pace that feels safe and appropriate.
Alongside clinical therapy, I also offer reflective and wellbeing-focused support for artists and creative practitioners, informed by my therapeutic training.
If you are curious about whether dramatherapy might be right for you, you are very welcome to get in touch to explore this further.